The University of Edinburgh ~ The partner of choice in India's knowledge economy

By Ranald Leask, International Press & PR Officer, the University of Edinburgh

My two week trip to India in February was certainly a busy one. From Delhi, I traveled to Kolkata, then onto Chennai, Mumbai and finally back to Delhi. It was a fascinating and highly productive fortnight, accompanying academic colleagues and enabling me to secure coverage of the University’s activities in some of India’s biggest newspapers.

Managing this blog was one of my responsibilities, and I’m pleased that colleagues have supported it so enthusiastically. It’s proved very successful in informing people both within and outwith the University about our Indian activities and to date we’ve had more than 2,000 views.

Additionally, I was busy filming – an increasingly important aspect to my role as an International Press Officer. Video is an incredibly powerful communication tool, and one that is now being seen as the most effective way to convey many stories.

Below are two films which I produced from my travels around India. The first is concerned with how Edinburgh is working with partners across India to improve animal husbandry, both for production animals like cows, sheep and goats, as well as wildlife conservation. Animal health experts from the University’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute, along with colleagues from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) exchanged ideas with Indian colleagues at a conference in Delhi.

The second film features an innovative Family Health Masters programme run by Edinburgh, in conjunction with the Christian Medical College in Vellore. The course, involving online and face-to-face teaching methods, enables medical professionals to treat a wide range of conditions in their communities, particularly in rural areas, more effectively.